Beijing urges US, other Western countries, to help bring back corrupt Chinese officials

FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014 file photo, Lebanese army soldiers open fire during clashes with Islamic militants in the northern port city of Tripoli, Lebanon. Last month’s clashes were considered the most serious because heavily-armed militants led the clashes; some were loyal to the Islamic State group and others to Syria's al-Qaida affiliate, the Nusra Front. Previous bouts were dominated by local Sunni Muslim tough men in the Tripoli slum of Bab Tabbaneh, fighting rivals in the nearby Jabal Mohsen, loyalists of the Syrian President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File)
(The Associated Press)

Xu Rong, director-general of the treaty and law division for China's Foreign Ministry looks at documents during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014. Xu calling on the U.S. and other Western countries to put aside their wariness of China's justice system and work with Beijing to send back officials who have absconded overseas with ill-gained loot. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
(The Associated Press)

Xu Rong, director-general of the treaty and law division for China's Foreign Ministry, left, speaks next to Sun Ang, Special Coordinator for Fugitive Repatriation and International Law Enforcement Cooperation for China's Foreign Ministry during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014. Xu calling on the U.S. and other Western countries to put aside their wariness of China's justice system and work with Beijing to send back officials who have absconded overseas with ill-gained loot. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
(The Associated Press)

BEIJING – A senior Chinese diplomat is calling on the U.S. and other Western countries to put aside their wariness of China's justice system and work with Beijing to send back officials who have absconded overseas with ill-gained loot.

Xu Rong, director-general of the treaty and law division for China's Foreign Ministry, said Wednesday at a news conference that some countries have "passive attitudes" about signing extradition treaties with Beijing. He said foreign judges who rule again expatriating Chinese fugitives lack a proper understanding of China's judiciary.

The United States, Canada and Australia — top destinations Chinese officials accused of corruption — have yet to sign extradition treaties with China.

Analysts say the countries are reluctant to hand fugitives to Beijing because of concerns over whether they would get fair trials.